Caregivers

With the support of generous grants from the Thomas Thompson Trust and the Kahn-Mason Foundation, River Gallery School is offering a series of free workshops for area caregivers. These accessible art sessions are designed to provide a relaxing, fun, and creative break for people who spend so much of their time and energy caring for those in need, be it children or adults with special needs, aging parents, or partners with failing health. Personal and professional caregivers are welcome.

Being in the healing professions can be very rewarding, but it can also be exhausting and draining. We give so much to others and are often faced with difficult stories and situations, leading to burnout and compassion fatigue. In giving so much to others, most healing professionals don’t prioritize their own self-care. But self-care is essential if we want to be able to continue helping others, as well as have lives of passion, joy, and fulfillment.

Connecting with your personal creative energy through making art is one way that you can practice self-care and renew your spirit as a healing professional. Making art, especially with an attitude of mindfulness, can give you a chance to set aside your stress, immerse yourself in an activity that is both relaxing and challenging, and rediscover the joy of making something by hand.

Even if you don’t think of yourself as an artist, making art can have significant benefits. Research has shown that creating art, regardless of your skill level, can significantly reduce stress levels. Art can give you a way to be more in touch with your emotions and inner wisdom and a safe outlet for expressing those emotions. In addition, different forms of artmaking exercise different parts of our brain, helping us to be more balanced and to strengthen underutilized ways of processing information.

If you are a caregiver and would like to be on the notification list, contact us, and share this opportunity with other caregivers.

Please feel free to offer feedback, send ideas, and to let us know the contact info of other caregivers who might be interested. We would like to expand our list of caregivers for these offerings.

Registration is necessary, as space is limited. In the interest of giving everyone a chance, you can register for 1 or 2 and be on the waiting list for any others, with a good chance of attending.

All workshops may not be listed, please contact us for more info. The 2019 schedule will include: Printmaking, Paper Cutting, Screen Printing, Sequencing, Fiber Arts, and more!